Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury
Encyclopedia
Abba Seraphim El-Suriani (born William Henry Hugo Newman-Norton on 27 Feb. 1948 in London
, England
) is the Metropolitan
of Glastonbury
and Head of the British Orthodox Church
within the Coptic Orthodox
Patriarchate of Alexandria. In this capacity he is a member of The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
; Avery Hill College of Education, London
; Teacher’s Certificate, University of London
.
in 1967, and then as a priest in 1971. During this time he was Diocesan Secretary between 1968 and 1977. He served as an Assistant Priest in Blackheath, London
between 1972 and 1977.
He was consecrated as Coadjutor Bishop
to the Metropolitan
of Glastonbury, 1977, then succeeded him as Metropolitan of Glastonbury in 1979.
He was consecrated as a Metropolitan of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.
In 1994 he became a monk of the Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary (El-Surian), Wadi El Natrun
, Egypt, hence the name Abba Seraphim El-Suriani. and on 19 June 1994 became a Metropolitan by Pope Shenouda III.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is the Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
and Head of the British Orthodox Church
British Orthodox Church
The British Orthodox Church is a small Oriental Orthodox jurisdiction, canonically part of the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria. Its mission is to the people of the British Isles, and though it is Orthodox in its faith and practice, it remains British in its ethos...
within the Coptic Orthodox
Coptic Christianity
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the official name for the largest Christian church in Egypt and the Middle East. The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct church body since the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, when it took a different...
Patriarchate of Alexandria. In this capacity he is a member of The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
Education
St Luke’s College, ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
; Avery Hill College of Education, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; Teacher’s Certificate, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
Posts held
Metropolitan Seraphim was ordained as a Deacon of the British Orthodox ChurchBritish Orthodox Church
The British Orthodox Church is a small Oriental Orthodox jurisdiction, canonically part of the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria. Its mission is to the people of the British Isles, and though it is Orthodox in its faith and practice, it remains British in its ethos...
in 1967, and then as a priest in 1971. During this time he was Diocesan Secretary between 1968 and 1977. He served as an Assistant Priest in Blackheath, London
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
between 1972 and 1977.
He was consecrated as Coadjutor Bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
to the Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Glastonbury, 1977, then succeeded him as Metropolitan of Glastonbury in 1979.
He was consecrated as a Metropolitan of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.
In 1994 he became a monk of the Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary (El-Surian), Wadi El Natrun
Wadi El Natrun
Wadi El Natrun is a valley located in Beheira Governorate, Egypt, including a town with the same name. The name refers to the presence of eight different lakes in the region that produce natron salt. In Christian literature, the region is also referred to as the Nitrian Desert...
, Egypt, hence the name Abba Seraphim El-Suriani. and on 19 June 1994 became a Metropolitan by Pope Shenouda III.
Publications
Metropolitan Seraphim has many theological, biographical and historical articles in numerous religious and scholarly journals. He was also editor of The Orthodox Catholic Review, between 1967 and 1968 and Glastonbury Review (previously Glastonbury Bulletin) since 1971. In addition, he has published:- Even Good Men, 1971
- Julius, Bishop of Iona, 1971
- Our Christian Brethren, 1974
- The Time of Silence, 1974
- The Hamburg SchismSchism (religion)A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
, 1974 - Fitly Framed Together, 1976
- Apostolic and Conciliar Witness (with J. E. Pinnington), 1978
- Root and Branch, 1992
- Evangelism & Youth, 1995
- A Victorian Family (2005)
- The Terrible Tale of Ex-Monk Widdows (2006)
- Flesh of Our Brethren (2006)
Councils membership
- Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches (Vice-President)
- Council of Society of Saint John ChrysostomJohn ChrysostomJohn Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
- Society of GenealogistsSociety of GenealogistsThe Society of Genealogists is a UK-based educational charity, founded in 1911 to "promote, encourage and foster the study, science and knowledge of genealogy". The Society's Library is the largest specialist genealogical library outside North America. Membership is open to any adult who agrees to...
- Heraldry SocietyHeraldry SocietyThere are several heraldry societies around the world. Some of the more notable ones include:*The Heraldry Society*The Heraldry Society of Scotland*The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada*The American Heraldry Society*The American College of Heraldry...
- Kent Family History SocietyFamily History SocietyA family history society is a society, often charitable or not-for-profit, that allows member genealogists and family historians to profit from shared knowledge. Large societies often own libraries, sponsor research seminars and foreign trips, and publish journals...
- Kent Archaeological SocietyKent Archaeological SocietyThe Kent Archaeological Society was founded in 1857 to promote the study and publication of archaeology and history, especially that pertaining to the ancient county of Kent in England...
- Lewisham Local HistoryLocal historyLocal history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history...
Society
See also
- CoptCoptThe Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
s - Coptic alphabetCoptic alphabetThe Coptic alphabet is the script used for writing the Coptic language. The repertoire of glyphs is based on the Greek alphabet augmented by letters borrowed from the Demotic and is the first alphabetic script used for the Egyptian language...
- Coptic calendarCoptic calendarThe Coptic calendar, also called the Alexandrian calendar, is used by the Coptic Orthodox Church and still used in Egypt. This calendar is based on the ancient Egyptian calendar...
- Coptic iconography
- Coptic languageCoptic languageCoptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
- Coptic musicCoptic musicCoptic music is the music sung and played in the Coptic Orthodox Church . It consists mainly of chanted hymns in rhythm with instruments such as cymbals and the triangle...
- Coptic abstinenceCoptic abstinenceThe Copts, the Christians of Egypt, who belong mostly to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, observe fasting periods according to the Coptic calendar. These fasting periods are matched by no other Christian community. Out of the 365 days of the year, the Copts fast over 210 days.- Fasting...
- Coptic OrphansCoptic orphansCoptic Orphans is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 with the goal of the long-term development of the physical and intellectual well being of children in Egypt.-History:...
- List of Patriarchs of Alexandria – prior to Chalcedon
- List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria - after Chalcedon
- Patriarch of AlexandriaPatriarch of AlexandriaThe Patriarch of Alexandria is the Archbishop of Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation of Pope , and did so earlier than that of the Bishop of Rome...
- Pope Shenouda III of AlexandriaPope Shenouda III of AlexandriaPope Shenouda III of Alexandria is the 117th Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria...
- The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
- Oriental OrthodoxyOriental OrthodoxyOriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
- Eastern Orthodoxy
- Eastern Orthodox Church of Alexandria
- British Orthodox ChurchBritish Orthodox ChurchThe British Orthodox Church is a small Oriental Orthodox jurisdiction, canonically part of the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria. Its mission is to the people of the British Isles, and though it is Orthodox in its faith and practice, it remains British in its ethos...
- Christianity in AfricaChristianity in AfricaChristianity is now one of the two most widely practised religions in Africa and is the largest religion in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most adherents outside Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea are Roman Catholic or Protestant. The presence of Christianity in Africa began in the middle of the 1st century in...
- Coptic Church in Wales
- St Mary’s and St Abu Saifain’s Coptic Orthodox Church Risca , South Wales.
- EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
- French Coptic Orthodox ChurchFrench Coptic Orthodox ChurchFrench Orthodox Church redirects here. For the Chalcedonian body, see Orthodox Church of France.The French Coptic Orthodox Church is an Oriental Orthodox church and an outgrowth of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.-History:...
- Coptic Orthodox Church in UK